Question

What is the role of a competitive inhibitor during the enzyme action?
A. It enhances enzyme action.
B. It modifies the enzyme action.
C. It alters the active site of the enzyme and prevents the binding of substrate.
D. It inhabits breaking of chemical bonds of the substrate.

Answer 1

Hint: In order to sustain different processes, the cells need enzymes and their action in particular rates which are necessary for living organisms. Enzymes are biomolecules that are the components of different chemical processes that occur in the body. They are the proteins that work to accelerate any biological reactions. The enzymes work on the substrates and convert it into different types of products.

Complete answer:
Enzymes are biomolecules that are known to catalyse biochemical reactions. The enzymes work on the biochemical process by increasing the rate of reaction. The enzymes can make the process of conversion of the molecules much faster and are specific in action. The enzymes are themselves not consumed in a reaction and they also do not cause changes in the equilibrium of the reaction.

The enzymatic activity can be altered by certain conditions especially when an inhibitor molecule is present. Inhibitors are the molecules that cause to decrease the rates of enzymatic activities. The main purpose of an inhibitor molecule is to bind with the enzyme and decrease its activity. An inhibitor molecule bears the same structural similarity as that of the substrate molecule. The structural similarity helps the inhibitor to bind with the active sites of the enzymes and the enzymatic activities are stopped.

The binding process of the inhibitors is due to the structural similarity with that of the substrate molecules. The binding of the inhibitors to the active site can stop a substrate to enter the active site on the enzymes. The result of this process is hindering the enzyme to catalyse its reaction. Certain inhibitors act as competitive inhibitors as they block the effect of one chemical by inhibiting the effect of the other. This takes place when the competitive inhibitors compete with the other chemical preferably, the substrate and binds itself to the active site and does not allow the substrate to bind the active sites. As a result of this behaviour of the inhibitors, the enzymatic action does not occur as it would have normally occurred. The process of binding of the competitive inhibitors with that of the active sites modifies the enzymatic process.

Hence, The correct answer is option (B).

Note: The competitive inhibitor inhibits the action of the substrate by competing with them and does not allow the substrate to bind with the active sites. Due to the binding of the inhibitors with the active sites, the enzymatic process is modified and changed. This change in the actual process of the enzyme cation modifies the process by inhibiting the action of the substrates.